Queue up for a digital set top box coupon for CT-100, etc...

[Pete Deksnis]

Originally Posted by kbmuri

Maybe there's some sort of a reliability/recall issue with CM-7000

My thought too; we'll see... anyone else have experience with the CM7000 yet.

Frys just shipped my replacement CM7000 and at their expense. Due here in Asbury Park on Monday the nineteenth.

Pete

[Pete Deksnis]

A replacement CM7000 from Frys arrived on time yesterday, got set up today, and works great. It has a double zoom selection, which makes the diminutive image on a 15GP22 screen easier to see.

This you will recall is one of the few with an S-video output as well as RF and composite.

There is no apparent difference in performance of watchable signals between the Magnavox and this unit. Sometimes a weak signal will pixelize with the Magnavox, but show 'no signal' on the Channel Master; but you can't watch either so it doesn't matter.

Pete

[NoTransistors]

I have a coupon-exempt Samsung adapter that had I purchased this winter. Channels 2, 11, 13, 21, 25, 31 and sometimes 5 are all too weak to receive with a roof antenna, even though I live in Brooklyn. The unit has a 10-bar signal strength meter, and even a good station can occasionally go down to zero then back up to 5+, in the midst of viewing.
Are the transmitters going to dedicate more power to digital when ANALOG goes byebye?
Or am I fucked?

Seth
Forever Analog [mostly] and Covered In Parrot Poop

FYI - Folks over on the AVS forum have verified that the audio problem with the Zenith / Insignia boxes appears to have been remedied in recent production runs dated April 08. For example, locate the sticker on the side of the carton and look for:

84Exxxxx (2008, 4th month)
or a SN# that begins: 804SHYxxxxx (again, 2008, 4th month)

Any unit prior to April will still exhibit the audio glitch.

[zenithfan1]

Originally Posted by sleddogman

FYI - Folks over on the AVS forum have verified that the audio problem with the Zenith / Insignia boxes appears to have been remedied in recent production runs dated April 08. For example, locate the sticker on the side of the carton and look for:

84Exxxxx (2008, 4th month)
or a SN# that begins: 804SHYxxxxx (again, 2008, 4th month)

Any unit prior to April will still exhibit the audio glitch.

I agree, I just picked up a few more Insignias and they seem to work much better than the first one I bought. Signal strength seems better too.

[Dave S]

Picked up a Zenith box yesterday. I'm about 30 miles from the Empire State Building and I get NO New York area network stations on the rabbit ears, just a couple of local Spanish-language UHF stations. Some of them pixellate badly.

[fdrennen]

Originally Posted by Dave S

Picked up a Zenith box yesterday. I'm about 30 miles from the Empire State Building and I get NO New York area network stations on the rabbit ears, just a couple of local Spanish-language UHF stations. Some of them pixellate badly.

What part of NJ are you in? I get a few NY stations and of course all of the spanish speaking staions. I just got my coupons and bought a digital stream from Rat Shack, I am still dealing wit hte best way to use the antenna. But the staions i get are as clear as cable!

[Dave S]

Originally Posted by fdrennen

What part of NJ are you in? I get a few NY stations and of course all of the spanish speaking staions. I just got my coupons and bought a digital stream from Rat Shack, I am still dealing wit hte best way to use the antenna. But the staions i get are as clear as cable!

I am about 30 miles due west of NYC. I wasn't surprised to get no reception here on the rabbit ears, but I figured it was worth a try. The reception I do get looks awesome - better 'n analog cable and (could I be imagining it?) maybe even better than digital cable (when it's not breaking up!)

[Eric H]

I finally redeemed my coupon today, the last day it was good.
I went to Best Buy and bought an Insignia box, that was the only one they had, I see that since it was built in Jan 2008 it'll have an audio glitch, just wonderful. Oh well hopefully I can exchange it if it sucks too bad.

What irritates me about the whole thing is it still cost me $25 over and above what the coupon was worth, hell I bought an actual HD tuner with a remote and 10X the features for that much at the GW!

[kbmuri]

Originally Posted by Pete Deksnis

My thought too; we'll see... anyone else have experience with the CM7000 yet.

Frys just shipped my replacement CM7000 and at their expense. Due here in Asbury Park on Monday the nineteenth.

Pete

An update on my CM7000 order...

SolidSignal.com got some in stock last week. Then they went about fulfilling my order, only to report that my coupons are no good.

Most of the regulars here know I've been wanting to put together 7 DTV converters into a whole-house VHF rebroadcaster on channels 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 13. I have been buying various DTV converters at retail and evaluating and reviewing them here. Figures, the last two I need I try mail-order and try using coupons. I've been 30 days trying to get satisfaction on them. Looks like not. Today I gave up and cancelled the CM7000 order entirely. If SolidSignal will cooperate, I should receive a Winegard RC-DT09 from them, by pooling the cash portion of both converters into one and ignoring the coupons altogether. Unless they can't do that without breaking some kind of red tape.

I know we're not supposed to talk politics here, but why is the government so incompetent at everything??? Sending me coupons that don't work? How challenging is that to get right, really?

Oh, well. Live and learn.

[fdrennen]

OK I've been using the digital stream box from rat shack for a day now, and have one criticism: the antenna input does not pass through the box when not powered up. meaning that if you conect the box through the antenna input you have no way to get regular analog broadcasts without a switchbox.

Do any converters work that way?

[NowhereMan 1966]

Originally Posted by fdrennen

OK I've been using the digital stream box from rat shack for a day now, and have one criticism: the antenna input does not pass through the box when not powered up. meaning that if you conect the box through the antenna input you have no way to get regular analog broadcasts without a switchbox.

Do any converters work that way?

I know there is a quick and dirty list of coupon compatible HDTV boxes on Wikipedia and they do have a chart for those with RF bypass. I've heard that Zenith will be coming out with a DTT901 model that will have RF bypass.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by Dave S

I wasn't surprised to get no reception here on the rabbit ears

I don't know if it would be helpful in this case, but I found this website interesting.

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.aspx

It can generate a map showing the location of TV transmitters within a radius of your home.

If I can ever solve the mystery of reconnecting all the room jacks to the abandoned attic antenna in this place, it will be interesting to compare the map to the list of stations actually received.

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html

[fdrennen]

Originally Posted by NowhereMan 1966

I know there is a quick and dirty list of coupon compatible HDTV boxes on Wikipedia and they do have a chart for those with RF bypass. I've heard that Zenith will be coming out with a DTT901 model that will have RF bypass.

I believe the link is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_CECB_units very informative it took me a while to find this link I hope it's of use to others.

[markallen]

Originally Posted by fdrennen

OK I've been using the digital stream box from rat shack for a day now, and have one criticism: the antenna input does not pass through the box when not powered up. meaning that if you conect the box through the antenna input you have no way to get regular analog broadcasts without a switchbox.

Do any converters work that way?

I also got the RS "Digital Stream" DTV converter and I like it. Basically plug and play. I now receive 3 public TV stations and also the local CBS and NBC affiliates. Apparently the ABC and Fox stations are not digital - yet. The difference in picture quality is remarkable.

Here is how I set it up so I can get both DTV and analog: using (triple - red, white, yellow) RCA-type cables, I plugged the converter into the VCR through one of VCR's AUX inputs (it has 2 AUX inputs; the DVD player already employs one of them). I then inserted a cable splitter into the antennae feed so the "rabbit ears" can feed signal to both the VCR/TV and DTV converter. So now we can receive the analog ABC/Fox broadcasts, and also the DTV broadcasts for the aforementioned stations by switching to the AUX via the VCR. Works well, even if it is kind of a rat's nest of connections, components and remotes.